P264-M rock shed project along Kennon Road to be completed by September

BAGUIO CITY —  Kennon Road’s rock shed worth P264 million will be finished by September this year, according to the Cordillera offices of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The multi-million rock shed along the identified geological critical area of the historic Kennon Road, formerly known as Benguet road, along Camp 6, Tuba, Benguet, will be completed to add safety value to the road system to Baguio City.

DPWH-Cordillera Administrative Region regional director Khadaffy Tanggol told journalists this week that the contractor is currently completing the columns of the structure along the river in preparation for the installation of the pre-fabricated shed to serve as the catchment area for debris that will come from the mountain slope to ensure the safe travel of motorists along the identified critical portion of the road line.

The Kennon Road will be closed for at least two months to pave the way for installation of the shed.

The 152-meter rock shed is part of the ongoing initiative to render the major road an all-weather road leading to the Summer Capital.

Kennon Road remains to be the shortest route with only 38 kilometers to Baguio City from the lowlands.

Tanggol said that the work at the rock shed is around 64.37% complete based on the accomplishment report of the contractor.

The DPWH CAR chief said that the target completion by September will be synchronized with the expected influx of visitors to Baguio City toward the yearend.

After the devastating July 16, 1990 earthquake, Kennon Road has been perennially on a close-open situation because landslides in various portions rendering mountain slopes unstable and unsafe especially during the rainy season.

Tanggol said that the agency is studying the possibility of implementing additional slope protection projects in other critical portions of Kennon Road aside from the earlier completed rock netting projects to stabilize the critical road sections.

He shared their observation that there were no erosions reported in the areas covered with rock nets while landslides and rockslides were reported in sections which were not instituted with rock netting measures.

The official said that the DPWH-CAR is working on the programming of additional slope protection projects to address the erosions triggered by natural calamities, especially heavy rains expected in the upcoming La Niña phenomenon.